High School Finalists
By: Jonetta Harrison, Makiyah Hicks, Quin Wells
Submitted By: Thom Woodward, Duke Ellington School of The Arts
A far too familiar story of violence and devastation, gun violence is an ongoing epidemic in many communities around the United States. Three TDP students, Jonetta Harrison, Makiyah Hick, and Quin Wells spoke with three family surviving members of victims of this gun violence.
The result, their self-produced podcast about "Loss and Transformation."
Music by Elijah Woodward
By: Christian Gobo, Anna Rubenstein
Submitted by: Glenn Allison, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
When the Teng family moved from China to West Windsor, New Jersey, they hoped to begin a safe and peaceful chapter of their lives. But on December 1st, 2020, a van full of angry protesters arrived at their house, shouting accusations that the father was a spy working for the Communist Party in China. For 37 days, the protests continued, but the Tengs didn't face them alone.
In this podcast, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South students Christian Gobo and Anna Rubenstein explore the community's response to the controversy.
By: Elizabeth Burns, Sophia Conner, Addie-Grace Cook, Avery Goodale, Madeline Hurst, Brooklyn Moore, Pete Peterson, Liam Quan, Alexander Roberts, Daniel Sobel, Abby Suber, Ellie Tanner, Adelaide Wood, Adair Wood
Submitted By: Julie Firetag, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School
A story of corruption, racism, murder, and the fight for freedom of the press. A politician shoots a newspaper editor in broad daylight in Columbia, South Carolina, over one hundred years ago. The story has been largely forgotten yet it is eerily tied to our political climate today. A historian, two local journalists, a famous South Carolina prosecutor, and the great nephew of the victim help us tell this lost story.
By: Isadora Millay, Anya Moore, Mason Decker, Kena Robertshaw, Izzy Cantu, Amelie Dimitre, Amelie Duetz, Mirandah Davis-Powell, Ella Gibbs, Sophia Varley, Zia Brandstetter, Tate Oliva
Submitted by: Shane Abrams, Ashland High School
Ashland, Oregon, is home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, an internationally acclaimed, nearly year-round theater that stages both Shakespeare and new works. Our town's economy, diversity, and institutions are symbiotically intertwined with the Festival, so the pandemic was more than just an interruption to performances; it was an existential crisis, a "To be or not to be?" Ashlanders depend on the answer, and we wonder just how our town will transform as OSF reimagines itself to survive the turmoil.
By: Kriti Sarav
Submitted by: Menaka Sarav, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
My podcast submission is my personal narrative on growing up Indian in a world full of different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds. I talk about the struggle I've experienced trying to be 'normal' in this world, being respectful of my culture and accepting of other cultures, and most importantly being kind to myself no matter what colour my skin is, what religion I practice or what food I eat. The internal conflict I experience daily because of my societal identifiers, and the story I live, is one millions of American's face to this day, and I hope other teens can listen to my story and know they are not the only ones struggling with their identities.
High School Band in the Pandemic
By: Troy Menzies
Submitted by: Ross Hecht, Allentown High School
The narrator and producer of this podcast, Troy M, a Senior at Allentown High School in New Jersey, presents the listener with the challenges high school band students have encountered through the pandemic. His podcast, also an entry into the NPR Student Podcast Challenge, offers insight to how music students are adapting and overcoming.
By: Cecilia Mazzocco
Submitted by: Kelley Kreiger, Bellefonte Area High School
A small, rural, Pennsylvanian community finds itself in turmoil in the midst of the presidential election. Calls of racism and cultural appropriation of the school's nickname "the red raiders" are at the center of this controversy.
By: Arturo Taquechel
Submitted by: Cristina Carbonell, Someset Academy Charter High
The short-length podcast discusses the value of experimental music as a genre as well as explaining the concept of experimentalism in music as a whole. Examples are given as to what constitutes the elements of experimental music through sound and examples of bands and songs. Further elaboration into what makes experimental music valuable is described as the alteration of musical conventions to create a sound as new and bold as it is pleasant to listen to. The splicing of instruments in genres typically not known for the sound produced or the use of something as unorthodox as destroying office paper are elements that make up the DNA of experimentalism in music, all that and more is what should make experimental music at the very least intriguing to the listener.
By: Julian Fausto, Eric Guadarrama
Submitted by: Mark Sujak, J. Sterling Morton East High School
My co host and I will be discussing the topic of teens and ink. Please check it out. We will mention the good and the bad of teens getting a tattoo, but also personal experiences.
By: Astrid Johnson
Submitted by: Angela Balcita, Adele Dinerstein, The Park School of Baltimore
What is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you? What is something that you used to believe as a kid, and now know is not true? These are some of the questions in this interview between sisters who were brought together by the pandemic. Reflect on the questions yourself and get advice from a nine year old. Follow along with Astrid (16 yrs) and Zouri (9 yrs), and see the dynamic of their supportive and hopeful discussion through giggles and empathy towards one another.
By: Kaylee King, Ethan Lincoln, Jamin Crow
Submitted by: Patrick Williams, Lower Kuskokwim School District
COVID-19 has changed school in the YK Delta, giving students more time to practice subsistence.
Social Media and Eating Disorders
By: Syndey Finkelstein, Cecilia Demolli, Florencia Feoli, Madeline DeJohn, Xantine Agar, Rhea Basile-Maslow
Submitted by: David Weintraub, Newton South High School
The podcasters explore the relationship between eating disorders and their roots on social media, with an emphasis on "What I Eat In A Day" posts. Anchored by searing interviews with young women who have struggled with eating disorders, the podcast tells a harrowing but enlightening story both old and new.
By: Juan Munoz
Submitted by: Mark Sujak, J. Sterling Morton East High School
This episode of the podcast is my own reflection about nostalgia and the realization of how vastly different every person's childhood was growing up. I go into one of my own experiences as a child to illustrate that point.
By: Larami Azure, Laylony Bell, Tru Coulston, Erin Elk, Kaya Friday, Kyler Mann, LaDainain Mason, Shatoni Shoyo, Leonardean Standing Rock, Kaylee Sun Goes Slow, Shylee Tillman
Submitted by: Charleigh Wolfe, Fort Washakie High School
Students of Fort Washakie High School in Fort Washakie, Wyoming detail their experiences with living on the Wind River Indian Reservation during the Covid-19 Pandemic. They recount the hardships, the ways their community took care of its members, and the reasons they found for gratitude and hope.
By: Cyra Paladini
Submitted by: Amy Pozza, Basis San Antonio Shavano Campus
On February 14th, 2021, an uncharacteristic winter storm devastated the Texan infrastructure. San Antonio student Cyra Paladini documents her experience during the week long power and water outages. She discusses their cause, and why a week of snow men and infrequent showers may bear a more ominous message for the planet.
Middle School Finalists
By: Allegra Durst
Submitted by: Kimberly Trotto, Clearwater Fundamental Middle School
I'm Allegra , an 8th grader at Clearwater Fundamental Middle School. This podcast, loosely based on Stardew Valley, is about Annie, a girl who recently moved from the city to a small town. Unfortunately, all of her neighbors think she's crazy! They make absurd assumptions that may seem crazier than Annie herself! So press play and listen as all your troubles fade into laughs! Enjoy!
Realistic Life of Future Adults
By: Massiel Acosta, Ethan Hadarits, Addison Martin, Natalie Way, Joseph Baker, Arden Harrington, Christian Guitierrez, Ryan Lopez, Maddox Robinson
Submitted by: Cindy Robinson, Canton Homeschool Resources & The Haven Academy
The 7th grade students at Canton Homeschool Resources & The Haven Academy have created their own podcast called The Realistic Life of Future Adults. It is created by future adults, for future adults. We created this podcast for the NPR Student Podcast Challenge.
By: Brennan Williams, Braeden Collett, Bo Porter, Dominique Jann, Charlotte Harris, Preston Trout
Submitted By: Brad Becker, Sayre Middle School
Seventh graders, Braeden Collett, Brennan Williams, Bo Porter and Dominique Jann explored the various things that get done behind the scenes to make the campus run smoothly so we can do what we need to do every day. Who does these things ? Our plan before the pandemic was to make this into a series called WhoDunnit ? Our next podcast in this series will be about the food service staff!
Slug Your Way Out of the Pandemic
By: Lucille Bornand
Submitted by: Kimberly Goodman, Richland Avenue Elementary
Slugs are underrated.Most people think that they are just lazy garden pests. Lucille explains why slugs should get more respect. Slugs can teach us a lot if we take a closer look at them. She shows how the little things in life-like slugs--can change our everyday pandemic life for the better.
By: Rebecca Zubarev-Foxworth
Submitted by: Casey Midkiff, Young Writers Institute
History can sometimes be a snooze, can't it? And don't celebrities seem somehow better or different than us? In this podcast, your host Becca takes these two common ideas and turns them on their head by telling you about the time King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England visited the US in 1939 and had a hot dog party. If you like-or even don't like, for that matter-short, interesting(not boring)moments in history, this podcast is definitely for you.
By: Naomi Burum
Submitted by: Tracy Riggs, Cedar Bluff Middle School
Join Naomi as she explores gender inequality and how it effects men, women, and those who are non-gendered.
By: Jennifer Song
Submitted by: Maysan Haydar, Birchwood School of Hawken
Birchwood School of Hawken eighth grader Jennifer Song describes the evolving and inconsistent standards of what society labels "beautiful" or "perfect" and how that affects how girls think of themselves.
By: Madison Saltz
Submitted by: Hayley Tepper, A.E. Wright Middle School
Exploring the importance of balancing negativity and positivity, we will go through a series of lighthearted interviews and explanations for a wholesome, educational seven minutes.
By: Julia Anchin, Joseph Borella, Charlotte Manasse, Hannah Manasse
Submitted by: Kathleen Fox, Seely Place School
Things we'd like to change in the world...
Students wanted to talk about societal ills in the form of school environment and how, starting small and at school, they could make a difference and be more welcoming and inclusive.
By: Gabriella Tarpey, Guinevere Treadwell, Maya Harrison, Sadie Horowitz, Josephine Strouk, Oliver Bettinelli
Submitted by: Robert Adanto, Brentwood School
On the Frontlines is a middle school podcast produced by Eagle Hour students, featuring interviews with Dr. Laurie Naito, Pediatrician and Emergency Medical Physician in Los Angeles, and Dr. Jaqueline Montoya, a Critical Care Physician in Miami, Florida. Both doctors have been fighting the Covid-19 pandemic since its onset.
By: Ellis Stephens
Submitted by: Amanda Triplett, Dalton Middle School
In his podcast, 8th grader Ellis Stephens explores age, too young for this or too old for that. Is there a perfect age?
By: Andrea Marsh
Submitted by: Amanda Triplett, Dalton Middle School
A 7th grader examines what it means to be black in 2021, from multiple perspectives, connecting history to present.
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